The Stars of 'Moonshiners' Are Licensed Distillers — So They're Not Breaking the Law

A lot of fans wonder if what the cast of Moonshiners does is illegal. In fact, a lot of people ask: how do the guys on Moonshiners not get arrested? The Discovery Network docudrama follows a dramatized version of the lives of people who produce illegal moonshine. The series shows their liquor production efforts and law-evading techniques. But as it turns out, the stars of the show — Tim and Tickle — are licensed distillers.

Fans may be surprised given comments the duo has made. "They’ve got to actually catch you doing something wrong. By the time that hits the TV," Tickle told FOX411. Tim added, "And that’s physically catch you." Tickle said that since the show isn't in real time, that's not the easiest thing for law enforcement to do. "We’re not sitting where we [were] at the time. You know, they watch me on TV Tuesday nights at 9, I’m still not sitting in the same spot at 10 o’clock when that show goes off. It’s non-taxed; that’s pretty much the only reason it’s illegal."

According to Virginia alcohol regulators, the show is misleading. "If illegal activity was actually taking place, the Virginia ABC Bureau of Law Enforcement would have taken action," Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control spokeswoman Kathleen Shaw previously told The Associated Press in an email. "Virginia ABC agreed to participate in an informative piece that documents the history of moonshine and moonshine investigations in Virginia. Virginia ABC did not participate nor was aware of the false depiction of moonshine manufacturing, distribution and/or transportation in the filming, and would not have participated in the 'documentary' had it known of this portrayal."

Tim added, "There’s not really a big fear here. It’s just that the government can’t get their money accounted for [because illegal moonshine is not taxed]. That’s all it is."